Lafayette High claims No. 6 seed in 5A playoffs

Advocate photo by Buddy Delahoussaye Lafayette High's Je'von Figaro is fouled by Acadiana's Parcs Mercier in a game last month.

For a pair of Acadiana boys basketball programs, this year’s postseason gives each a chance to end a recent one-and-done playoff scenario.

Lafayette High has not won a playoff game since defeating H.L. Bourgeois by 20 points in the 2008 Class 5A championship game. In the five seasons since, Lafayette has made the postseason each season and has lost three of those contests by 23 or more points. The closest Lafayette came to advancing out of the first round was last season’s 58-55 loss to Thibodaux.

“This group of seniors has made it to the playoffs three years in row but has not won a playoff game,” longtime Lafayette coach Clifton Brown said. “That was our motivation in the summer and preseason — to make it out of the first round. They want to move forward.”

The Lions enter the postseason playing some of the best basketball in Acadiana. The team is 25-3 overall, went undefeated in District 3-5A play and is riding a 16-game winning streak. The Lafayette’s last loss was a 65-61 setbck to Helen Cox in December at the St. Martinville tournament.

“Were playing good basketball right now,” Brown said. “We are shooting the ball well and playing good defense. We are playing a certain level of basketball to be successful in the playoffs.”

Two weeks ago, Teurlings Catholic placed itself in the driver’s seat for the District 5-4A championship. Teurlings Catholic, though, lost back-to-back district games to St. Thomas More and Northside. Despite losing two of their past three games, the Rebels (23-9) still earned a home playoff game.

“We feel good,” Teurlings Catholic coach Jake Duiett said. “We gave them three days off, and we came back and the guys looked refreshed. A lot of guys play football too, and they don’t get a lot of days off. They are happy for the home game.”

Like Lafayette, Teurlings has gone an extended period of time without a playoff win. In the past two seasons, the Rebels have lost by an average of 23 points. The team’s last victory was in 2005 when Tuerlings defeated Morgan City in the opening round of the Class 3A playoffs.

This year’s team though is far more experienced than those teams, featuring four seniors and one junior. Duiett said he hopes the experience of early playoff exits will be beneficial Friday.

“We will reap a lot of the benefits of having a lot of those older guys,” Duiett said. “I think we are prepared. We are better than a 14 seed. We may play with a little bit of shoulder because of that.”